apollo fish fry, boneless fish fry

Apollo fish fry is a Hyderabadi special boneless fried fish which is stir fried in a curry leaves tempering after deep frying.

It is often found in the menu list of most of the Hyderabadi restaurants and is highly ordered dish in restaurants of Andhra and Telangana regions..

It basically appears like a starter and is sauteed in an aromatic tempering of curry leaves which is just eaten plain as a starter dish.

About the recipe:

It is a simple medium spicy starter fish recipe which is marinated in spices then deep fried well like a fish pakora. The deep fried fish is stir fried in spice and yogurt masala.

To make this fish recipe, one needs to use boneless fish fillets which can be tilapia, salmon, red snapper, Murrel or any boneless fish available in your region.

I have used boneless tilapia which I feel turns out tasty after cooking but one can make use of any fish fillet without bones in it. If using fish with bones to fry fish then follow fried fish recipe from my blog which I have already shared with a video.

Ingredients used in the apollo fish recipe:

For marination:

Boneless fish: Use any kind of fish which is fresh and free of bones. Frozen fish never tastes good and always make use of fresh fish to make deep fried fish recipes.

The fish can be made into medium size pieces or thin strips or as desired shape but preferably make strips or small pieces.

The fish should be cleaned and washed well before use and should be free of water to let masala stick to the fish pieces.

Dry spices: Dry spices such as salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder (white or black), ginger garlic paste are required to remove the fishy smell and give spice flavors in the marination.

Corn flour and maida: These both ingredients are the high requirements in making the apollo fish marination as these two ingredients give the right crisp and crunchy flavor to the fish from outside when deep fried.

Egg: Sometimes the fish is too hard from inside and gets chewy and this ingredients balances the hard and chewy texture as well as makes it softer to chew the flesh inside the deep fried fish.

Lemon: Always adding lemon gives a slight balanced sour flavor to the chicken or fish while deep frying and is also essential to tenderize the flesh quickly as well as to remove the bad odour from the flesh.

Oil: This is must to deep fry and to saute the fish after deep frying.

To saute the fish:

Oil: This acts as the base for all the tempering given and without oil the rest of the ingredients do not add taste.

Any healthy oil such as olive oil can be used. If olive oil is not handy then make use of other edible oils for sauteing or deep frying.

Curry leaves and Garlic: Apollo fish tempering is incomplete without these two. They give the required aroma and flavor to the final dish.

Green chilies: To get the right spice flavor to the fried fish, chilies are added which also add to the aroma and delicious taste to the fish.

dry spices: I have added some dry spices in tempering such as salt, chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, food color and black pepper powder. These give a good masala color to the dish.

Food color: Any food color of one’s choice such as red food color yellow food color can be added as per preference.

I prefer to keep it natural most of the times and if making it regularly but since I am posting it as a restaurant style version I have made use yellow food color while sauteing.

Yogurt: I have added yogurt as Hyderabadi restaurant version or street food style cooking of this dish uses yogurt or curd while sauteing the fishes but I think this can be taken as an optional ingredient if yogurt is not handy and not preferred.

Generally, it can be just sauteed by skipping yogurt and yet gets best taste. Adding yogurt makes it soft and if a crunchy texture is preferred then it is completely optional to skip yogurt.

How to make apollo fish with step by step procedure and photos:

Fish marination:

• Wash the boneless fish pieces well and strain them well to remove excess water. Take a mixing bowl, add the boneless fish pieces.

• Add salt as per taste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, add ginger garlic paste.

• Add corn flour, all purpose flour/ maida into it.

• Add beaten egg to the marination. add lemon etxract.

• Mix all the ingredients well with the fish pieces.

• Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Deep frying:

• Take a deep frying pan or a wok, add oil for deep frying and heat it well.

• Drop the marinated fish pieces carefully into the oil.

• Deep fry them for at least 10 minutes or until they are fried well completely.

• Take the fish pieces out and place them on an absorbent paper.

Tempering the fish pieces:

• Take a saute pan, add oil and heat it.

• Add vertically slit green chilies, add finely chopped garlic. Add fresh curry leaves and saute few seconds.

• Add dry spices such as salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and black pepper powder.

• Add yogurt and give a good mix.

• mix the yogurt on low heat.

• Add yellow food color mixed with little water.

• Add the fried fish pieces into it.

• Mix the fish pieces with the tempering. Saute until yogurt gets absorbed into the fish.

• Lastly, add some freshly chopped cilantro leaves. Mix well and turn off the heat.

• Garnish with lemon wedges and sliced onions.
• Serve as a starter.

Video procedure for the recipe below:

FAQ’S RELATED TO THE RECIPE:

Which fish is used in the recipe?

Use any boneless fish and preferable not salmon for this recipe as salmon does not taste good for this recipe directions and preferably use snapper, Murrel or tilapia.

Is adding egg necessary ?

Adding of beaten egg is definitely not mandatory and it can skipped and can be marinated plain with spices, corn flour and maida.

Is yogurt mandatory?

No, it can always be skipped and the recipe can be stir fried just by adding some curry leaves, chopped garlic and slit green chillies along with some dry spices which tastes equally good and is a quick version of making the apollo fish.

Do we have to add sauces to the recipe?

Usually, if making it in Hyderabadi style plain yogurt is added but soy sauce can be added for additional sauce flavors.

Which food color to be added?

I generally do not prefer adding of any artificial colors but since I am posting a similar version of restaurant style apollo fish which is similarly made in Andhra restaurant and tried to add yellow food color but it can be replaced with any color.

Homemade food should always be natural.

How this recipe can be modified?

It can be modified by skipping yogurt and adding sauces such as soy sauce and chili sauce instead of yogurt.

Can fish be stored after cooking?

Fish recipes should always be consumed fresh and never should be kept in room temperature if the temperature of the room is even slightly hotter.

Always place the cooked fish in refrigerator after consuming as the fish starts smelling bad after few hours if not stored in fridge.

Even if stored in fridge consume it within a single day and not store for more than a day.

Uncooked raw fish pieces can stored in freezer for a long time and can be used for cooking when required but do not store the uncooked raw fish in refrigerator.

Check out the recipe directions below.

How to make apollo fish recipe card below: